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Luhansk residents forced to vote, says governor, as ‘referendums’ on joining Russia held in occupied regionsWhat we know on day 213 of Russia’s invasionRussian forces launched new strikes on Saturday, targeting infrastructure facilities, Zaporizhzhia city’s administrative head, Oleksandr Starukh, said via his Telegram channel.One missile hit an apartment building causing a fire, killing one person and injuring seven others.But if you get into the...

Justice department gains access to about 100 documents with classified markings that the FBI seized from the resortAttempts by Donald Trump to delay the criminal investigation into his unlawful retention of government secrets have been largely thwarted after the Department of Justice regained access to about 100 documents with classified markings that the FBI seized from the former US president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.The...

People took to streets after death in custody of Mahsa Amini, arrested for breaking dress code for womenAt least 35 people have been killed in more than a week of protests that erupted in Iran after the death of a young woman in police custody, state media reported.Demonstrators have taken to the streets of major cities across Iran, including Tehran, for eight straight nights...

Fletcher, who won Academy Award for her role of Nurse Ratched in 1975 film, dies, aged 88Louise Fletcher, who won an Academy Award for her role in the 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, has died, aged 88.Fletcher died in her sleep surrounded by family at her home in Montdurausse, France, her agent, David Shaul, told the Associated Press. Continue reading...

Syrian state TV reports new figure after shipwreck of vessel that survivors say had between 120 and 150 people onboard The death toll from a migrant boat that sank off the Syrian coast after sailing from Lebanon earlier this week has risen to 86, Syrian state TV said on Saturday.The country’s transport ministry has quoted survivors as saying the boat left Lebanon’s northern Minyeh...

Seven West Media says the issue was unique to certain web and mobile platforms for which it does not have broadcast rightsGet our free news app, morning email briefing or daily news podcastInstead of watching the AFL grand final kick-off on Saturday some frustrated fans found themselves watching episodes of Border Security due to a glitch with Seven’s streaming service.People who planned to watch...

Attorney general Mark Dreyfus has been briefed by the privacy commissioner about hack and is seeking ‘urgent’ meeting with telcoGet our free news app, morning email briefing or daily news podcastThe Australian federal police is investigating after the data of millions of Optus customers exposed during a recent hack was allegedly put up for sale online.On Saturday morning a post appeared on a data...

Dozens of flood warnings across NSW after state lashed by heavy rainfall overnight. This blog is now closedAFP investigates $1m ransom demand for allegedly hacked Optus dataGet our free news app, morning email briefing or daily news podcastWong highlights decline in the UN’s Human Development IndexDespite inheriting the biggest debt in our nation’s history, the new Australian Government is determined to play its part...

Despite the president’s statement, some experts fear a rise in cases while others welcome longer-term approach to coronavirusJoe Biden’s recent declaration that the Covid-19 pandemic was over was premature, according to several infectious disease experts, but there was not a consensus among them about whether the remarks will cause a significant change in Americans’ attitude towards the virus and lead to worse public health...

Latest Guardian University Guide shows leading trio are in league of their own for undergraduate coursesThe 2023 rankings in fullOxbridge is being replaced at the apex of UK universities by “Stoxbridge” after St Andrews overtook Oxford and Cambridge at the top of the latest Guardian University Guide.It is the first time the Fife university has been ranked highest in the Guardian’s annual guide to...

Emergency services rescued four people clinging to trees after two vehicles became trapped in floodsFollow our live blog for the latest updatesGet our free news app, morning email briefing or daily news podcastA five-year-old boy has died after the vehicle he was travelling in was washed away in flood waters in New South Wales’ central west.Two vehicles became trapped in flood waters on the...

At least two people killed and 120,000 households without power as authorities urge caution for more landslides and flooding A typhoon lashed central Japan on Saturday with torrential rain and fierce winds, killing two and leaving tens of thousands of households without power, the Kyodo news agency reported.Shizuoka city, south-west of Tokyo, was hit especially hard, seeing a record 417mm (16.42 inches) of precipitation...

People living in empty buildings at cheaper than the market rate are facing steep increases and possible lawsuitsFirms that house residents in buildings that would otherwise sit empty have been accused of raising costs during the cost of living crisis, with one company reportedly increasing some fees by more than 100%.It means property guardians – those who live in empty buildings such as ex-factories,...

Exclusive: Labour vows to end ‘Tory procurement racket’ and reward firms that pay taxes responsiblyOne in every six public procurement contracts issued by the government over a five-year period were won by businesses with connections to a tax haven, analysis has found.The companies behind the taxpayer-funded deals were owned by firms that were at least partly domiciled in one of 27 tax havens around...

Exclusive: Analysis shows government could use profits from public energy firm to cut bills and insulate homesBritish households will each miss out on up to £4,400 over the next two years because the UK does not have a nationalised energy generation company, the Trades Union Congress has said.The UK’s main trade union body is calling on the government to set up a “public energy...

The deputy leader on Liz Truss’s ‘fanciful’ economics and why people are starting to listen to Labour againLabour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, is up for a fight with the Conservatives along the old rules of engagement as her party heads to its annual conference in Liverpool.Accusing Liz Truss of launching a “failed experiment” on the country with “fanciful” economic plans, Rayner batted away suggestions...

Weather event weakens but could still bring hurricane-strength winds and heavy rain when it hits, meteorologists sayCanada is bracing for what could be one of the strongest storms ever to touch down on the country, as Fiona makes its way up the Atlantic coast.The storm transformed from a hurricane into a post-tropical cyclone late on Friday, but meteorologists said it could still bring hurricane-strength...

China has accused the United States of sending “very wrong, dangerous signals” on Taiwan after the US secretary of state told his Chinese counterpart on Friday that the maintenance of peace and stability over Taiwan was vitally important.Taiwan was the focus of the 90-minute, “direct and honest” talks between the se...

At least 77 people drowned and many still missing after shipwreck off coast of SyriaAt least 77 people have drowned after the migrant boat they boarded in Lebanon sank off Syria’s coast, the deadliest such shipwreck from Lebanon in recent years, amid fears the death toll could be far higher.The country, which has been mired since 2019 in a financial crisis the World Bank...

Ruling brings back law blocked for nearly 50 years, and means clinics offering the procedure would face criminal chargesArizona can enforce a near-total ban on abortions that has been blocked for nearly 50 years, a judge ruled Friday, meaning that clinics statewide will have to stop providing the procedures to avoid criminal charges against doctors and other medical workers.The judge lifted a decades-old injunction...

Ex-chair of Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation says hydrogen plant, gas facility and proposed urea plant are all threats to cultural sitesGet our free news app, morning email briefing or daily news podcastTraditional custodians fighting to protect ancient rock art on the Burrup peninsula have raised concerns that construction work has begun at multiple sites despite the federal government ordering a cultural heritage assessment of the...

UN says Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine; Finland bars Russian tourists amid long queues to cross border after Putin’s military mobilisationSee all our Ukraine coverage Continue reading...

While oil prices are back to pre-Ukraine war levels, a weaker pound results in higher costs for motorists The plunge in the value of the pound has left drivers paying an extra £6 for a tank of petrol, an analysis from the AA has found.The recent fall in sterling, exacerbated by Friday’s market-spooking mini-budget, has hit hard-pressed motorists in the pocket, the motoring group...

TikTok searches soared amid flood of media coverage, raising questions about the response to extreme social media challengesInterest in NyQuil chicken appears to have substantially increased after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about the “recent social media video challenge” that drew widespread media coverage.The FDA issued a statement on 15 September warning of social media videos encouraging people to...

Dozens of Congress members seek inquiry into whether transport of asylum seekers from Florida and Texas broke federal lawDemocratic lawmakers have called on the US justice department to investigate whether Florida and Texas officials broke any federal law when they moved dozens of Venezuelan asylum seekers from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard under allegedly false pretenses.The letter from the congressional representatives Gerry Connolly, Sylvia Garcia,...

Readings boss sends angry rebuke after more than 250 writers campaigned for better pay and conditions for booksellersFor many Melburnians, Readings is more than just a bookstore – it’s a bricks-and-mortar embodiment of progressive values, a business that doubles as a community space where ideas are shared and diversity is celebrated.But an ongoing pay dispute has divided staff and threatens to tarnish the independent...

Protests after Russia calls up reservists and repeats nuclear threats; ‘referendums’ announced for four occupied regions; and life after liberationRussia-Ukraine war: latest updatesEvery week we wrap up the must-reads from our coverage of the Ukraine war, from news and features to analysis, visual guides and opinion. Continue reading...

Army signals it is prepared to crush dissent after unrest over death of Mahsa Amini in police custodyPro-government rallies have taken place in several cities across Iran in an attempt to counter a week of mounting unrest triggered by the death of a woman in police custody.Marchers called for anti-government protesters to be executed, while the army signalled that it was prepared to crush...

Miles-long traffic jams form as Russia’s neighbours debate whether to welcome those trying to avoid military draftRussia-Ukraine war: latest updatesLong lines of vehicles continue to form at Russia’s border crossings on the second full day of Vladimir Putin’s military mobilisation, with some men waiting over 24 hours as western leaders disagree over whether Europe should welcome those fleeing the call-up to fight in Ukraine.The...

Hastily arranged polls in Russia-controlled regions have seen little campaigning, but there are reports of door-to-door searches and repressionRussia-Ukraine war: latest updatesWith minimal preparation, armed soldiers standing guard and the booms of war often audible in the distance, so-called referendums got under way on Friday in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops.Residents in Russian-controlled parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions were...

The country faces a litany of problems, from inflation to a democratic deficit, and the women’s movement is seen as an agent of changeOn the day that news of Mahsa Amini’s death spread throughout Iran, a young woman with a shaved head joined protesters who had gathered outside Kasra hospital, where Amini had lain in a coma since her violent arrest by Iran’s morality...

Nearly a million customers lack power but restoration is proceeding faster than after Hurricane Maria An estimated 928,000 homes and businesses were still without power in Puerto Rico on Friday morning after Hurricane Fiona hit on Sunday, causing an island-wide power outage for its roughly 3.3 million people.Hurricane Fiona was passing Bermuda heading towards Nova Scotia in Canada, classed as a major hurricane with...

Big releases with usually bankable male stars criticised for formulaic storylines as audience taste evolvesThe opening of a new big-name Bollywood film was once a national event across India, greeted by weeks of fanfare, long queues outside cinemas and halls packed to the rafters with audiences cheering and singing along.But this year, with 77% of releases flopping at the box office, cinema halls have...

Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud decries as ‘cynical’ accusations his country was trying to improve its image after Khashoggi killingIt would be cynical to see Saudi Arabia’s efforts to secure the release of international prisoners held by Russian proxies in Ukraine as an attempt to improve the country’s image after the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, its foreign minister has said.Prince Faisal bin Farhan...

International Diabetic Federation decries reports ongoing war has led to shortages of life-saving drug at Ethiopian region’s biggest hospitalDoctors at the biggest hospital in Tigray say they have just days supply left of insulin, as the resumption of fighting between rebels and Ethiopian government troops once again cuts off supplies to the region.In what the head of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has branded...

Tax cuts to cost Treasury around £37bn in 2023-24, official figures revealAs it happens: key points at a glanceThere are no urgent questions in the morning, and so Kwasi Kwarteng, the chancellor, will be delivering his statement soon after 9.30am.The Commons starts sitting at 9.30am, but they always begin with prayers in private, and so Kwarteng will be up a few minutes later.The last...

Voting in four regions under Moscow’s control begins; Ukraine president tells Russians facing mobilisation to protest, fight back or run awayWhat we know on day 212 of the invasionThe British Ministry of Defence has giving its latest intelligence update on how it sees the situation on the ground in the war. It says that “the battle situation remains complex” but that “Ukraine is now...

Mark Menzies challenges business secretary to ‘lead by example’ and start drilling in North East SomersetJacob Rees-Mogg should “lead by example” and make his the first constituency to be fracked, a Conservative MP has said.Mark Menzies, the MP for Fylde, challenged the business secretary to start drilling in North East Somerset before imposing fracking on other constituencies. Continue reading...

Yoon Suk-yeol accused of discourtesy in London and of swearing after chat to Joe BidenSouth Korea’s president has been accused of causing a “diplomatic disaster” after his first major international trip, to the Queen’s funeral and the UN general assembly, was marred by alleged discourtesy and an expletive directed at members of the US congress.Yoon Suk-yeol, a conservative who was already battling low approval...

Chancellor scraps top 45% rate of income tax and cuts stamp dutyKwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget: key points at a glanceLive updates: Kwasi Kwarteng announces mini-budgetCuts to the top rate of tax, national insurance, and stamp duty were announced by the government.A 1p tax cut planned in the basic rate of income tax for 2024 will be brought forward to 2023, and the top rate of...

The landmark ruling found the Morrison government had violated the rights of the Indigenous people by failing to take adequate action to cut emissionsGet our free news app, morning email briefing or daily news podcastA United Nations committee has found the Australian government has failed to adequately protect Torres Strait islanders, and violated their right to enjoy their culture and lives, by failing to...

Hurricane causes blackout across Puerto Rico while typhoon forces 8m to flee homes in JapanIt has been very active across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in recent days with more than five storms officially named.Hurricane Fiona in the Caribbean was the first storm of the tropical Atlantic season to strengthen into a major hurricane. Fiona made landfall on Sunday across south-western Puerto Rico, where...

This blog is now closed.Australia should compensate Torres Strait Islanders for climate change failure, UN saysGet our free news app, morning email briefing or daily news podcastIn New South Wales politics this has just happened:The Senate is also up and about with a condolence motion being held in the upper house as well. Continue reading...

Polls asking residents to vote for independence and join Russia condemned in west as illegitimate• Russia-Ukraine war: latest updatesSo-called “referendums” are under way in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops, with residents told to vote on proposals for the four Ukrainian regions to declare independence and then join Russia.The polls, hastily organised after being announced earlier in the week, are due to run...

Drag performer George Ward appeared on second series of hit show before launching TV careerThe drag performer George Ward, better known by their stage name, Cherry Valentine, has died at the age of 28, their family has announced.Ward, who died on Sunday, appeared on the second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK before launching a TV career and hosting the BBC documentary Gypsy Queen...

The chancellor has delivered his mini-budget – here are the main points, with political analysisKwasi Kwarteng announces sweeping tax cuts in mini-budgetLive updates: Kwasi Kwarteng announces mini-budgetKwasi Kwarteng says the government was never going to let households face soaring energy bills caused by Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.Reversing the tax rise will put £19bn a year back into the economy.Kwarteng says companies will be...

Assault by Chen Jizhi and his friends on 10 June has sparked a national debate over gender-based violenceThe main perpetrator of an assault against a group of women at a barbecue restaurant in China has been sentenced to 24 years in prison, after the case sparked a national debate over gender-based violence.Chen Jizhi started hitting the women after they rejected his “harassment” in the...

PM says relaxation will take effect from 11 October as Hong Kong scraps hotel quarantine measures for visitorsSee all our coronavirus coverageJapan has announced it will lift tough Covid restrictions on foreign tourists, reopening the borders after two and a half years.The prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said on Thursday that the pandemic had interrupted the free flow of people, goods and capital that had...

Campaigners say revoking of post-Brexit protections amounts to legislative vandalismHundreds of Britain’s environmental laws covering water quality, sewage pollution, clean air, habitat protections and the use of pesticides are lined up for removal from UK law under a government bill.Environmentalists accused Liz Truss’s government of reneging on a commitment made after Brexit to halt the decline of nature by 2030. They say the revoking...

Activists say that the company’s own audits have been ineffective and workers receive inadequate safety protectionsWorkers and activists have been campaigning to push Levi’s, one of the world’s largest clothing brands, to sign on to an international accord for workers’ health and safety in Bangladesh and Pakistan.On 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which housed five garment clothing factories, collapsed,...